One of the very few disappointing moments lam and I experienced on our recent trip to KNP was the sighting of 2 Common Mynas (Acridotheres tristis) or Indian Mynas at the Punda Maria camp's waterhole. Has anyone seen these dreadful birds that far north before ?

We were camping at the fence next to the waterhole when they flew from the eastern side of the camp to the waterhole. They settled in a Mopane in the camp first (which is where I saw them) and then went to drink at the waterhole before continuing westwards.

Bush Baptist wrote:What about crows, hadedas and European starlings, aren't they also bad news for SA.

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Crows ? Pied, Black and White-necked are all indigenous while House Crows have limited distribution in SA.
Hadedahs ? This is one of the archetypal birds of Africa !
European (Common) Starlings are to my mind a menace.

Saw them at Punda camp in the camping site last week [week ending 3rd November]. I subsequently saw a pamphlet on the Indian Myna in which it stated that the Limpopo Environment Act had gazetted that the Indian Myna be an alien invader and that they should be destroyed [including nesting sites]. BTW so was the Mallard.

Latest Lifers: Brown-Backed Honeybird; Violet-Eared Waxbill; Green-Winged Pytilia; and heard often but never seen - Yellow-Fronted Tinkerbird (±2m away in the open)

MM I cant speak for those in S.A, but here where I live they are 1 of the only 3 birds in my garden and I love them, yes they are a pest, but they give me many weekends of trying out my camera and lenses.. they can be very commical

Being so gregarious Indian Myna was actualy the first bird I realy watched intensivly (in Durban on holiday) not even knowing it was a pest . that was at about 18 years of age and I only got my first Roberts about a year later altho I had been fascinated by a library copy at about 11 years of age and did not even believe some of the bird illustrations were true . i had also been exposed to the cigarette cards book of SA birds .

So I suppose we have to accept the Indian Myna and the European Starling (Cape coastal region) are naturalized South African birds and let nature find a balance . In earth's history birds have colonized so it is a natural selection albeit influenced my humans .

There is just one thing - don't let either of these birds start nesting in your roof cavity . Once they have established a nest once then that is it for life , and no amount of closing of holes will stop them from re-opening it - even bricks, mortar and steel will be pecked open. Then you have to eradicate that pair .
But if they can't find an ever so small opening in the first place you won't have the problem , so see that your beam infilling is good and the best is wire mesh under the eaves .

Hi guys, I believe that these birds are out control, they keep spreading to new areas and breeding there. I was in Tamboti a few weeks ago and saw a pair there... I personall hate them, so I bought a pellet gun and shoot them mercilessly here in Middelburg. They chase other birds out of my garden and it costs me a fortune to feed them all!!